West Palm Beach Fashion Student’s Fur-Free Dress Wins Local Competition

October 6, 2009 – Fort Lauderdale, FL -- Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Fashion Design student Gilberto Alvarez, of West Palm Beach, is the local winner in the national Cool vs. Cruel Fashion Design Competition, sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and The Art Institutes. Alvarez now moves on to compete on the national level with his fur-free garment which will be judged by a panel of industry professionals in New York City. The grand prize-winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City for a press event, an internship with a designer, and a cash award.

“My design is a classy yet edgy black and white vinyl cocktail dress with embellishments of silver rings and the use of synthetic hair,” says Alvarez. “My design stands out from many of the others I saw in my class and from past winners. Not only because of the synthetic hair I used but the dress has a deeper meaning. I wanted people to visualize the synthetic hair as if it were them that was captured and tortured for their hair.”

Now in its fifth year, the Cool vs. Cruel Fashion Design Competition goal is to improve on a well-known label or designer’s garment by making it fur-free. Students needed to use key elements from one of four provided runway designs from well-known labels or designers as inspiration for their animal-friendly creation.

“I was inspired by three of the four designs that we had to choose from,” continues Alvarez. “The use of color for the hair was inspired by the bright color used in the Thakoon design, the metal rings and straps and choice of vinyl in the garment were inspired by the Alexander McQueen, and the length of the hem was inspired by the Michael Kors.”

After graduating, Alvarez plans to open his own boutique. He says, “I became interested in fashion my senior year in high school. Once I was out of high school, I took a lot of time off and always talked about going to school for fashion. My best friend Geneva and my mother pushed me to pursue my dream. I did go to see fashion schools in Florida and New York but did not have the drive to go until the unfortunate death of my best friend. She was only 27 years old when she passed and I was just 21. I looked at life in a completely different way and when I thought of school, I always heard her voice in the background telling me to get up and follow my dream so I did.”